Traction belt



June 6,1933. D. s. KENNEDY TRACTION BELT 2 sheets-sheet 1- Filed Dec. 4, 1951 June 6, 1933. D. s. KENNEDY 1,913,280

TRACTION BELT Filed Dec. 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 links, and adapted to extend around two plate wandismade in one piece with inwardwith the track surface and to preventlslip crest on one side and groove or mouth on 25 th. Such arrangement provides the maXiface of the base or tread plate a of th h 1 Patented June 6, 1933 i a i q UNITED PA OFFICE in n rennin wim EN EDY, or LON'GPARISIE IzE i i i n n a n n. LSTRAQTIOZN' L 1 r i i Applic m a n pgniber l,1e31,:Seria1 Not57QP84 ndin Great mama name. 24, i930.

This invention relates to traction belts for other modifications in the corrugations of :the pneumatic :tires of road vehicles andof the shoes, n t n the overalltypeconsisting of shoes coupled Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, the shoe up in series bypivoted or fleXible connecting comprises ,a substantially flat base or tread u'oad wheels on the same sideof a roadvely'turned end walls a a The tread plate a hicle. Oneobjec't is to provide an overall is substantially rectilinear and is joined "at beltshoeof-siniple andinexpensive construcits ends by .easy bends with the endsa m zlllOIl,1.WlTllCh is easily cast or pressed to shape The shoe. is corrugated or fluted longitudiin one piece and is also corrugated to give nallyas at I; from one end to the other, .that -59 strength :and .rigidity and to give proper is to sayacross the tread of the tire or the engagement \VlbllbllGwWiLllS and tread ofthe line of travel of the traction belt, each cor- .pneumatieitires, H t ltugatlon belng approximately central of the A further object is to improve adhesion flat base and including. the usual ridge or inside :the traction belt.

t a a p the-other. The corrugationorfluting I) also Another object is to construct the shoe in extends along the inwardly turned ends 0311 such a wayas to produce a gripping action of the .one-piece-shoe 0;. The ridge portion between the tread of the tirewand the base of the corrugation b is rounded or arched iorrtreadwplate of theshoe, while faoilitating .so that there is no gripping or wearing be- Z the rolling of the wheel as it beds down into .tween the tire-walls and the end. walls .01 athe trough-shaped traction belt; and subseduring the rolling ofthe tire into and out of quently disengages therefrom, especially thetraction belt, but there is a gripping 'acwhen :the vehicle is travellingin a. curved tion .betweenthe tire-tread and the inner mum resistance to ground, shear, and the ,due rto tthenrelatively sharp edgesof slots or maximum resistance :to wheelspin inside the *aperturesb in the corrugation b. ,I have inoverall belt without damaging or causing idicated the pneumatic tire in its deflected excessive wear of the tire. '1 i I condition under load, with the side walls Theinvention is hereafterdescribed with bulging outwards, at T in Fig. 1, but the reference toxtheacoompanying drawings,,inMworking .of these traction belts is well which a t y known; seefor example,,my prior patent Fig. 1 is a front elevation ofone form of specification No. 1,808,416 dated June 2nd. theicorrugatedshoe. a .Z i 1931. t a t Figs. 2, .3 land 4 .are respectively an in- Q The corrugation 6 across the tread plate m verted plan showing the inner face, a plan of theshoe is preferably a V shaped fiuting, viewlshowing the outer face, zmdanfendelethe open mouth of the V or groove of the vation 'of theshoe shown in Fig. l. t i 1 corrugation being directed outwards from Figs. 5, 6, 7 and8 relate to anotherform the wheels, that is :towardsthe ground or l0f1constructi0n,.-Fig 5 being a sectionalplan track beneath the lower run of the traction of the link connection, Fig. =6 a front elevabelt. This also gives a wedging action to the tion of. ithe belt shoef Fig, 7 an inverted tire tread betweenadjacent shoes or between l-planxviewshowingitheinnerface of-the shoe two crests or ridges of the corrugations so and Fig. San end view showing two lshoes qas itoalessenor avoid wheel spin. and connecting links as part of the upper Inworderto avoid unduewear of the tire run of this traction belt. t Q; vwalls, the convex inner faces or ridges of F'g. '9.'s a plan view showingaoentrally the corrugations in the end walls a are flatiarrangedxlink connection uponithe one-piece riter:(orjlesssteep) thanithe ridge of the corcorrugated shoe. i i "I t V mi gation in the tread plate ofrthe shoe. This "Eigs. :lOand .11$a rediagrams representing is best seen in Fig. 2, from which it WllllbG understood that as the wheel rolls over a stationary shoe of the traction belt, the side walls of the tire do not rub or chafe against sharp ridges on the inturned ends a a but have a smooth sliding engagement with the convex face of the corrugation in one or both of the end walls a 0 The corrugations b in the end walls a are aligned with and continuous with the corrugation b in the tread portion of the shoe a, as clearly shown in F 4:. 7

Renewable strakes 0 may be rivetted as at 0 or otherwise secured across the tread plate a of the shoe, respectively fore and aft of the transverse corrugation b as shown in Figures?) and 4.

Upon the outer faces of the walls a a there are fitted strengthening strips of. These'strips have sunk middle portions or humps a which will bed snugly into the corrugations offlutings b in the said side walls.

Each said strip a is secured to the side wall by, for example, spot-welding, and these strips a provide anchorages for the coupling of adjacent shoes together. The shoes may be coupled up in series by connecting links d. which are pivotally secured to the shoes laterally and at each side thereof by means of pivots al having cross pins d these pivots passing through the strips a and side walls a Such an arrangement will be better understood from Figs. 5 and 8, hereafter described. Each link (Z may conveniently be slotted at its ends as shown at (F,

to allow slight lateral movement 01": the shoes and to facilitate the compact storing or handling of the traction belt.

' In the arrangement of Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, I have shown the inwardly directed side walls a a of the shoe turned out again to form parallel walls at a (1 the connecting links (1 being arranged between said parts a and a on each side of the shoe and pivotally secured in place by means of vious example.

If preferred, the shoes may be coupled up by connecting links arranged on the centre line of the traction belt and having their ends flexibly secured to the shoes. In such case, see Fig. 9, I form a fore-and-aft trough or depression f in the shoe a (such'trough run ning at right angles to the transverse corrugation b) and in this trough f, I anchor a rod or bar 9 as by rivets 9 such as a U- shaped stamping having two eyes 9 g at each end, one pair of eyes being situated beyond the leading edge andthe other behind the trailing edge of the shoe at. These eyes 9 g are engaged by links which may besimilar to the bars d pivotally-secured at their respective ends to the trailing and the leading eyes of adjacent shoes,

The transverse corrugation or fluting b which extends across the shoe. 1s preferably provided with one or more slots or pins al as in the pro aft edges of the slot and around its ends, this flange 6 being directed inwardly to- I wards the tread of the tire T.

Vhere a single slot 12 is provided in the length of each corrugation b, it is preferably arranged midway across that portion of the shoe which contacts with the tread of the tire inside the belt-shoe, its length being about the same as, or slightly greater than, the width of the tire tread under load.

I may employ a plurality of these slots or apertures b for example in the form of loops, or diamond shaped figures, as illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 10 and 11,

with marginal flanges b b of corresponding shape.

In all cases, these slots or apertures 6 allow air or water to escape easily from under the corrugation or fiuting b when the shoe 0; is making contact with the ground,

side wall a a is continuous with the corrugation or fluting in the tread plate at, but

the ridge or crest of such continuous corrugation decreases in angular steepness from the tread m to the side walls m What I claim is 1. A shoe for a traction belt of the overall type, comprising a rectilinear tread plate arranged transversely of the belt, end walls set angularly to said tread plate and from the ends of said tread plate, said tread plate and end walls being formed in one piece, and a central corrugation formed longitudinally in said tread plate and continued along said end walls, said corrugation including a ridge directed inwardly of the shoe, the ridge of said corrugation decreasing in steepness from that portion which is inthe tread plate to those portions of th ridge which are in the end walls.

2. In a shoe for a traction belt of the overall type and adapted to be engaged by a wheel tire, the combination of a rectilinear tread plate arranged transversely of the belt,

continuous fluting which extends from end to end of the shoe and across the tread plate, I

plate being arranged to provide a gripping with the crest of said corrugation directly inwardly of the shoe, the crest in the tread action between the tire tread and the tread plate, and the crest in the end walls being convex towards the interior whereby to reduce wear during rolling action between the walls of the tire and the end walls of the shoe.

said fluting having on the internal face of the shoe a ridge adapted to be engaged by a wheel.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

DONALD STUART KENNEDY.

3. A shoe for a traction belt of the overall a type, comprising a rectilinear tread plate arranged transversely of the belt, end walls a set angularly to said tread plate and extending from the ends of said tread plate, said tread plate and end walls being formed in one piece, and a longitudinal corrugation formedcentrally in said rectilinear tread plate, said corrugation including an angular ridge directed inwardly of the shoe and being continued along the said end walls, an aperture in the ridge in the tread plate for a portion of the length of said tread plate, and a flange around said aperture, the ridge of said corrugation decreasing in angular steepness from that portionwhich is in the tread plate to those portions of the ridge which are in the end walls.

4. A shoe for a traction belt of the overall type,having a tread plate arranged transversely of the belt, end walls set angularly to said tread plate and from the ends of said tread plate, a, corrugation in said tread plate arranged transversely of the belt and extending along the end walls, said corrugation having its ridge upon the inner face of the shoe, a strengthening strip secured upon the outer face of each end wall, said strengthening strip including a hump adapted to nest in the groove of the fluted corrugation in said end wall, and links to connect adjacent shoes, said connecting links being pivoted to the said strengthening strips.

5. A shoe for a traction belt of the overall type, comprising a tread plate having a substantially rectilinear. face to make contact with the ground, internally directed end walls at the ends of said tread plate, said tread plate and end walls being formed integral, outwardlydirected extensions from the inner ends of said end walls, cross pins between said end walls and said extensions,

rigid link members each mounted at one end between said end walls and said extensions from the side walls, said link members being pivoted upon said cross pins, and a fluting extending along the external face of said tread plate from end to end thereof, 

